Monolithic floating wharves

ABSTRACT

Monolithic reinforced concrete flotation units constructed to be assembled as single or multiple wharves with provision for the safe carriage of power, fuel and communication services and with provision for storage lockers. Such units are designed specifically for boat moorage but with modification in arrangement and assembly of the units or modification in size or shape, the units may be used for a variety of other purposes such as floating walkways or causeways, diving platforms, breakwaters, flotation units for boat moorage sheds and marine refueling stations.

United States Patent Toby et a1.

[ 51 May 2,1972

[54] MONOLITHIC FLOATING WHARVES [72] Inventors: Kenneth L. Toby, 1551Mount Douglas X Road; Rodney W. S. Wells, 1329 Stanley Street, both ofVictoria, British Columbia, Canada 22 Filed: Mar. 17, 1970 211 Appl.No.:20,198

Morton et a1. ..1l4/0.5 F Vermeulen ..114/0.5 F UX PrimaryExaminerTrygve M. Blix Attorney-Anthony A. OBrien [57] ABSTRACTMonolithic reinforced concrete flotation units constructed to beassembled as single or multiple wharves with provision for the safecarriage of power, fuel and communication services and with provisionfor storage lockers. Such units are designed specifically for boatmoorage but with modification in arrangement and assembly of the unitsor modification in size or shape, the units may be used for a variety ofother purposes such as floating walkways or causeways. diving platforms,breakwaters, flotation units for boat moorage sheds and marine refuelingstations.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 3 Sheetsfiheet 1 FIG. I

FIG.2

Patented May 2, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGQ4 Patented May 2, 1972 FIG? 3Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGS e nun-nu MONOLITHIC FLOATING WHARVES BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION There have been other systems used for floatation unitsfor wharves and boat moorage but none of the known systems have utilizedthe salient features of the present invention such as the variouscombinations of the following factors contained in the presentinvention:

a. Concrete construction;

b. Monolithic construction;

0. Floatation dependent upon positive retention of interior airpressure;

d. The use of high density concrete to protect the floats from waterdamage and attack by marine creatures and organisms;

e. Differing densities of concrete to improve bouyancy and floatationcharacteristics;

f. Simplicity of design and assembly with versatility of use;

g. Safe means of carrying power, fuel and communication services;

h. Interior lockers;

i. Methods of adjustment of floatation levels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to construct units made of monolithic concrete utilizingdifferent densities of concrete to improve the buoyancy and floatationcharacteristics of the units.

Another object of the present invention is to construct floatation unitsin such a manner that their assembly into multiple wharves is simple andthat the units are so versatile that numerous types of wharves may beassembled by using the same unit.

It is a further object that the units of floatation apparatus beconstructed so that a safe method of carrying power, fuel andcommunication services through these units is created and maintained.

A still further object of the present invention is that floatation unitsbe constructed in such a manner that the floatation level of the unitsmay be adjusted.

A principal advantage of the present invention is that since thefloatation units are of concrete construction, they will not deterioratewhen exposed to the elements or to marine creatures or organisms andthat because of this, their life span will far exceed that of thepresent material used for the construction of wharves and floats. Therehas always been a difficulty in conveying electric power through floatswhen located near the water and a major advantage of the present designis that the required wiring is placed so that it is not exposed in thepresent invention as it is in other floats and a similar comment isapplicable for wiring for communication services and for fuel lines. Insummary, the present invention is characterized in that floatationapparatus is constructed from a floating unit having a deck, a base andsidewalls connecting the deck and base to define a closed chamber, withthe deck, base and sidewalls being integrally formed of concrete into amonolithic concrete unit and with the deck being formed of a concretehaving a density which is less than that of the sidewalls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the mainaccess float embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view ofFlG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the secondary float according to the presentinvention;

FIG. Sis a side view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an assembly of main and secondary floats ofFIGS. 1 and 4; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another assembly of main and secondary floatsof FIGS. 1 and 4, which further illustrates the potential use and theversatility of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2and 3, the main access float of the present invention is constituted ofa concrete deck 1 carried upon longitudinal floatation chambers 2 whichare filled with rigid expanded floatation material. Service ducts 5, 6and 7 are carried beneath the deck above normal water level and nestledbetween the floatation chambers. The deck 1 is constructed of normallight weight concrete of medium strength and is reinforced with steelbars and/or steel mesh; such reinforcing steel is carried down andspliced with reinforcing steel of the walls of the floatation chamber 2in such a manner as to form a completely monolithic shell.

The base and sidewalls of the floatation chambers 2 are constructed of ahigh strength, fine aggregate concrete with a high cement content andreinforced with steel bars and steel fabric. This high quality concretehas a greater weight than that of the deck 1 and is used to resistattack by marine creatures and organisms and to resist abrasion andchemical attack. The reinforcing steel fabric is a fine mesh which willhold the concrete in place should it be fractured by impact.

Crosswalls or ribs 3 of similar concrete to and integral with thefloatation sidewalls are provided the full width of the deck 1 and arelocated in each end of the unit in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3.These give structural integrity to the unit as a whole.

The floatation chambers 2, with the exception of the levelling voids 8,are completely filled with rigid expanded floatation material 4 of lowdensity such as one of the expanded foamed plactics; these bulks 4provide resistance to water pressure on the sidewalls of the floatationchambers 2.

' A plurality of service ducts 5, 6 and 7 which extend the full lengthof the unit are formed of fiber glass and may be completely protected byextending the concrete shell around the underside of these ducts. Theservice ducts 5, 6 and 7 are open at each end for passage of the servicelines to the next floatation unit, the junction being made with a hingedor rocking fiber glass duct section of similar profile. Any of theseservice lines could be tapped by means of an offset cast into the deck 1of each or any main float in such a manner that moored boats would beserviced.

Voids 8 are formed on the top of the expanded floatation material 4 ateach end of each floatation chamber 2 and they may be filled with sandor other suitable material to govern the floatation level of any unit.This sand or other material would be added 'after construction andtesting of the units for bouyancy and inserted through holes 9 formed ordrilled through the deck. These holes 9 would then be permanently sealedas a protection against tampering or mishap.

A neoprene or similar plastic bumper or rubbing strip 17 is securedaround the edge of the deck 1. Wooden moorage rails 18 are providedalong the sides of the deck and plastic sleeved holes would be providedin each cross wall to carry a reserve anchor cable 19.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 the finger or secondary floatshave a construction and design similar to the main floats except thatthey have less width and contain only one floatation chamber. Thefloatation chambers 13 in these secondary floats are different fromthose in the main float in that they are of a multi-cellularconstruction and do not require expanded floatation material.

The systems of construction of the floatation chambers of the main andsecondary floats are such that both are of a monolithic nature and areinterchangeable so that they may be used to suit whatever particularservice requirements and location the user may have. An example of thismay be found in areas of predictable and unusually severe weatherconditions where the user may desire to have all the units of amulti-cellu- Iar construction in order to sink them onto the sea bed forprotection from the elements rather than lift them out of the water forground level storage. The units could be raised whenever required by thesimple method of pumping the water from the cells.

The deck of the finger float is constructed of normal light weightconcrete of medium strength and is reinforced with two separate layersof steel bars or mesh. The deck reinforcing steel is again carried downand lapped with the reinforcement of the floatation walls. The sidewalls11 and the base 12 of the floatation chamber 13 are constructed of highstrength fine aggregate concrete with a high cement content and arereinforced with two separate layers of steel mesh and a layer of steelfabric. This slab construction with two layers of mesh is a methodcommonly used in the construction industry and results in especiallyhigh ultimate strength.

The base slab 12 is of increased thickness and therefore increasedweight in order to improve the floatation and stability characteristicsof the unit. Crosswalls 14 of thin slab reinforced concrete are providedto strengthen the sidewalls 11 and to act as bulkheads should damageoccur to the unit. The sidewalls 11, base slab 12 and crosswalls 14 maybe water proofed by surface application during construction or by theincorporation of a water proofing agent or chemical during mixing andprior to the placement of the concrete. Access holes 20 are provided toeach cell so that water may be pumped out of the unit. These holes wouldbe sealed with a conventional screw cap or other device. These holes mayalso be used for the insertion of cement grout or weight material inorder to complete the floatation levelling purposes.

Storage lockers 15 may be installed in the upper portion of any cell,access to which would be through a water proof hatch 16. A neoprene orsimilar plastic strip 17 would be installed around the edge of the deckas in the main floats.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the potential that these units have inversatility of arrangement and are only two of the examples of sucharrangement which could be used.

in FIG. 7 the main floats 22 are linked in line with a 90 turn and thesingle finger floats 23 project at right angles. One finger float is ofreduced length to provide access to the interior corner formed by theturn of the main floats.

In FIG. 8 the main floats 22 are again linked in line and some of theseare of increased length 19 for stability purposes. Finger floats 23 arelinked together and to the main float forming an angled moorage wharf.The floats are anchored in place by attachment to piles 21 driven intothe sea bed.

It must be emphasized that the floats are not restricted in size, exactshape or carrying capacity. For example, they can be constructed withminor modifications to form square,

round, tapered or multi-sided decks or the floatation chambers could beincreased in size or depth to provide increased free-board or greaterload carrying capacity.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations,modificatons and changes in detail, it is intended that all mattercontained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

l. A floatation unit a plurality of which may be assembled in variouscombinations to form layouts of main access floats and finger floats tocreate marinas and multi-moorage for boats, said unit comprising amonolithic concrete structure having a deck, a base, and sidewallsconnecting said deck and base to define a closed floatation chamber,

said base and sidewalls being integrally formed of reinforced highdensity concrete,

said deck being formed of reinforced concrete having a density less thanthat of said sidewalls,

a quantity of low density, rigid, expanded material substantiallyfilling said floatation chamber and serving as a floatation agent, and

at least one levelling void formed in said expanded material to receiveballasting material to thereby control the floatation level of saidunit.

2. The floatation unit according to claim 1 wherein said chamberincludes a plurality of water proof bulkheads to chamber includes atleast one crosswall to define a plurality of compartments, and meanssealing said compartments from each other.

4. The floatation unit according to claim 3 further comprising accessport means in said deck leading to said compartments whereby saidcompartments may be provided with ballast material to add weight to theunit.

5. The floatation unit according to claim 1 wherein said base includes apair of bases spaced from each other, said sidewalls include a pair ofsidewalls for each base, and said deck includes a single deck spanningall of the sidewalls to define a pair of closed chambers spaced fromeach other.

6. The floatation unit according to claim 5 further comprising acrosswall extending across each end of the unit to stabilize the unitfor floatation purposes, each crosswall being made of concrete integralwith said deck.

7. The floatation unit according to claim 6 further comprising aplurality of service ducts disposed in the space between said pair ofchambers and under the adjacent portion of said deck, and a slab ofconcrete extending under said ducts to be integral with adjacentsidewalls whereby said ducts are completely surrounded by concrete.

8. Floatation apparatus comprising a plurality of main floats connectedtogether into a multimoorage assembly,

a plurality of secondary floats connected to said main floats wherebythe multi-moorage assembly may be extended in a plurality of directionsrelative to the main floats, each of said main floats consisting of amonolithic concrete unit defining a pair of floatation chambers with aduct chamber therebetween, a floatation agent substantially filling eachfloatation chamber, means defining a ballast compartment for eachfloatation chamber, and ballast means in said ballast compartment tocontrol the floatation level of each main float, and

each of said secondary floats consisting of a monolithic concrete unitdefining a plurality of floatation chambers sealed from each other,access means for each chamber to insert ballast means therein, andlocker storage means in at least one of said chambers.

1. A floatation unit a plurality of which may be assembled in various combinations to form layouts of main access floats and finger floats to create marinas and multi-moorage for boats, said unit comprising a monolithic concrete structure having a deck, a base, and sidewalls connecting said deck and base to define a closed floatation chamber, said base and sidewalls being integrally formed of reinforced high density concrete, said deck being formed of reinforced concrete having a density less than that of said sidewalls, a quantity of low density, rigid, expanded material substantially filling said floatation chamber and serving as a floatation agent, and at least one levelling void formed in said expanded material to receive ballasting material to thereby control the floatation level of said unit.
 2. The floatation unit according to claim 1 wherein said chamber includes a plurality of water proof bulkheads to establish a multi-cellular construction.
 3. The floatation unit according to claim 1 wherein said chamber includes at least one crosswall to define a plurality of compartments, and means sealing said compartments from each other.
 4. The floatation unit according to claim 3 further comprising access port means in said deck leading to said compartments whereby said compartments may be provided with ballast material to add weight to the unit.
 5. The floatation unit according to claim 1 wherein said base includes a pair of bases spaced from each other, said sidewalls include a pair of sidewalls for each base, and said deck includes a single deck spanning all of the sidewalls to define a pair of closed chambers spaced from each other.
 6. The floatation unit according to claim 5 further comprising a crosswall extending across each end of the unit to stabilize the unit for floatation purposes, each crosswall being made of concrete integral with said deck.
 7. The floatation unit according to claim 6 further comprising a plurality of service ducts disposed in the space between said pair of chambers and under the adjacent portion of said deck, and a slab of concrete extending under said ducts to be integral with adjacent sidewalls whereby said ducts are completely surrounded by concrete.
 8. Floatation apparatus comprising a plurality of main floats connected together into a multi-moorage assembly, a plurality of secondary floats connected to said main floats whereby the multi-moorage assembly may be extended in a plurality of directions relative to the main floats, each of said main floats consisting of a monolithic concrete unit defining a pair of floatation chambers with a duct chamber therebetween, a floatation agent substantially filling each floatation chamber, means defining a ballast compartment for each floatation chamber, and ballast means in said ballast compartment to control the floatation level of each main float, and each of said secondary floats consisting of a monolithic concrete unit defining a plurality of floatation chambers sealed from each other, access means for each chamber to insert ballast means therein, and locker storage means in at least one of said chambers. 